INDIVIDUAL | WOMEN’S GROUPSFOR CAPACITATION Improved maternal health literacy is a contributing factor to the beneficial effects of women’s participation in groups to improve maternal and neonatal health in LMICs.44 Furthermore, benefits are not limited to women with high reported levels of intervention exposure, and spillovers in the community have been documented.59
FOR HEALTH ACCESS
| EMPOWERING WOMEN WITH KNOWLEDGE, MOTIVATION AND SELF-EFFICACYStrengthen women’s health literacy, particularly in areas with weak health systems and low educational levels. Initiate or leverage women’s groups as a platform for counselling and behaviour promotion focusing on health literacy, and mentoring to access government services and entitlements.
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HOUSEHOLD | WOMEN’S GROUPS MENAS HUSBANDS OR A PARENT AS CLIENTS
ELDERLY WOMEN | ENCOURAGE FATHERS’ GREATER INPUT INTO CHILD CARE, AND INTEGRATING THE ROLE OF OTHER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN CHILD CARECreate communication platforms and related delivery strategies to engage on positive behaviours related to childhood development focusing on delivering the same messaging (eg, on child immunisation) to both mothers and fathers as well as other decision makers in the household. Complement women’s group interventions with programmes to involve fathers, including facilitating regular sessions with women and men to foster collaborative parenting and decision-making.
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COMMUNITY | MEN ELDERLY WOMEN | ESTABLISHING A DIALOGUE WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE, AND PROMOTING A SHARED SENSE OF PURPOSE AND ACCOUNTABILITYEngage fathers and other decision makers and influencers in the household and community—including elderly women, on awareness and the importance of vaccination, providing them with information on basic health, and routine immunisation status of their communities.
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HEALTH SYSTEM | FEMALE PROVIDERS MOTHERS/WOMEN’S GROUPS | ENGAGING AND ADEQUATELY SUPPORTING FEMALE FRONTLINE WORKERS BY ENSURING LINKAGES WITH THE WIDER HEALTH SYSTEMRecruit women from inside the community—especially where vaccination is religiously or politically controversial—to improve mobilisation, and support efforts to reach marginalised women and children. Ensure mobile health teams have a balanced female/male ration where needed, particularly when home visits are conducted. Consider capacity building/mentoring to improve technical capacity of health personnel, including on providing confidential care to beneficiaries, and interpersonal communication skills to sensibly relate with vulnerable groups.
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO SERVICE PROVISION BASED ON COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES OF QUALITY OF CARETailor location of outreach services to meet the needs of caregivers and ensure acceptability of services among both mothers and fathers. This may include ensuring the schedule is agreed on with the beneficiaries and enable equal access and opportunity to mothers and fathers, and timely communicating schedule and location to the community. Provide immunisation services at more appropriate and flexible times for women and their families. Approaches may encompass establishing a fast line for mothers and caregivers who come only for vaccination services, designating a space specifically for vaccination to ensure an efficient flow of patients, or changing or extending vaccination session hours.
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